Jurassic Park Films

What do you think of the Jurassic Park films? I'm a big fan of the series myself. I have the first two on DVD and will get the third one when it's out.

My favourite is the original, with its optimism and "shiny-ness". Of course, it was based on a Michael Crichton novel and he had one shot to tell the ultimate dinosaur story, which I think he achieved with the whole genetic theme park concept.

The Lost World was based on a Crichton novel as well, but really, who wouldn't write another book when the first one was so successful, if you see what I'm getting at?! I think the film had good characters and actors, better than Jurassic Park III's, but the set-pieces were largely the same as the original's and two tyrannosaurs attacking a bigger vehicle didn't have the same impact this time around. The ending was also inconsistent with the style of the rest of the film. Quite a good, immersive adventure though.

I saw Jurassic Park III a few weeks ago and think it felt like a big budget TV movie, but at least some of the dinosaurs and set-pieces were fresh. The Pteranodon scene was particularly memorable.

If they make another one, there will be as many Jurassic Park films as Jaws films, but I just lap them up!

If I remember rightly bits of JP2 occur in the original novel, and it also has a gorier ending. But that's Hollywood for ya.I was hugely disappointed in JP3 - it was kinefodder, characterless and tensionless and the whole "big cage for Pteranodon" thing was a bit far fetched, given at the end of JP2 you can quite clearly see at Pteranodon settling on a rock amongst other dinosaurs.
But JP1 is a classic of its time-and will never be equalled. It got graphic/human interaction just right. Most CG animated films these days spend too long showing off their wares rather than telling a good story with good characters.
Lake Placid, however, is rather fun.

I kinda disagree with you on this one. I agree that the first one was definately the best of the three (by a long shot) but the Lost World stunk. It would have been good if Lost World had been based on the book, but really the only similarity that the book and movie had in common was dinosaurs. I enjoyed JP3 much more than LW. JP3 was somewhat lacking in plot but it was more fun and not drawn out like LW.

> I kinda disagree with you on this one. I agree
> that the first one was definately the best of the
> three (by a long shot) but the Lost World stunk.
> It would have been good if Lost World had been
> based on the book, but really the only similarity
> that the book and movie had in common was
> dinosaurs. I enjoyed JP3 much more than LW. JP3
> was somewhat lacking in plot but it was more fun
> and not drawn out like LW.

The issue of Pteranodons in the Jurassic Park films is very interesting. As I understand it, the original ending for The Lost World had the protagonists being chased by raptors, jumping off a cliff to escape the raptors and then being chased by pterosaurs.

Ending two had the escape helicopters being attacked by pterosaurs.

But Spielberg scrapped all that because he wanted to bring the tyrannosaur to San Diego which most reviewers agreed ruined a fairly decent film.

Of course you are right that there are pteranodons flying free in the closing shot of The Lost World (I assume they had worked on the characters too much not to use them), but I'm glad that didn't stop them re-thinking how the pteranodons were stored in Jurassic Park III, as I think that is one of the few inspired, suspenseful bits. If I didn't know otherwise, crossing a misty bridge is almost Spielbergian...

If you have not read "The Lost World" by Crichton yet, I would highly recommend it, especially if you are a big fan of the JP series as you seem to be. I found it much better than the Lost World movie.

I think part of the reason why I didnt like Lost World (the movie) is because I had read the book first and the movie differed quite a bit from the book.

> The issue of Pteranodons in the Jurassic Park
> films is very interesting. As I understand it,
> the original ending for The Lost World had the
> protagonists being chased by raptors, jumping off
> a cliff to escape the raptors and then being
> chased by pterosaurs.

> Ending two had the escape helicopters being
> attacked by pterosaurs.

> But Spielberg scrapped all that because he wanted
> to bring the tyrannosaur to San Diego which most
> reviewers agreed ruined a fairly decent film.

Really? Either one of those two endings would have been much better than the idea of bringing the T-Rex to the US. I wonder why they did not include the alternate endings on the DVD. That would have made the movie a little better in my mind.

Oh sorry, I don't think they filmed those endings. I have the Region 2 DVD and the storyboards for those scenes are on it. They also describe it in the 50 minute "Making Of" documentary. I definitely like the hang-gliding scene best (did I mention their backpacks turn into hang-gliders?)!

Graeme

> Really? Either one of those two endings would
> have been much better than the idea of bringing
> the T-Rex to the US. I wonder why they did not
> include the alternate endings on the DVD. That
> would have made the movie a little better in my
> mind.

> Oh sorry, I don't think they filmed those
> endings. I have the Region 2 DVD and the
> storyboards for those scenes are on it. They also
> describe it in the 50 minute "Making
> Of" documentary. I definitely like the
> hang-gliding scene best (did I mention their
> backpacks turn into hang-gliders?)!

That ending does sound pretty cool. Too bad used the crappy one instead. No matter what they do though, I doubt any sequel will ever be able to top the original JP. The "shock" value has worn of. When I saw that T-Rex for the first time on the movie screen, I was amazed at how well it was done, now it is like watching any other movie. But don't get me wrong, I will go see almost any movie carrying the Jurassic Park name.

I love Jurassic Park!!! The first one was the best. Lost World was better than III, in my opinion. I think there will be a JPIV, and the dinosaurs get off the islands and into South America or somewhere and kill off villiages of people. That was the first thing I thought when I saw the pteradactyls flying off the island. They have it planned already. Lol.

Marty, I've just acquired both Crichton Jurassic Park books and am 1/3 through the first one. From what I've read so far, the screenplay was a very clever way of condensing the story. The characters are very different though. Hammond is far greedier and Grant is not nearly as grumpy.

Graeme

> If you have not read "The Lost World"
> by Crichton yet, I would highly recommend it,
> especially if you are a big fan of the JP series
> as you seem to be. I found it much better than
> the Lost World movie.

> I think part of the reason why I didnt like Lost
> World (the movie) is because I had read the book
> first and the movie differed quite a bit from the
> book.